Brazilian Hercules warplanes have been sent to dump thousands of gallons of water on the burning forests in the Amazon state of Rondonia, in response to a global outcry over the destruction of the world’s largest tropical rain forest.
As of Sunday, President Jair Bolsonaro had authorized military operations in seven states to combat raging fires in the Amazon at the request from their local governments, a spokeswoman for his office said.
A video posted by the Defense Ministry shows a military plane bailing water out of two giant jets as it passed through clouds of smoke close to the forest canopy.
The response comes as leaders of countries in the Group of Seven (G7) nations currently meeting in France expressed grave concerns over the fires.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said the G7 was nearing a deal to provide ‘technical and financial help’ to countries affected by the Amazon fires.
Brazilian Hercules warplanes have been sent to dump thousands of gallons of water on the burning forests in the Amazon state of Rondonia, in response to a global outcry over the destruction of the world’s largest tropical rain forest
A video posted by the Defense Ministry shows a military plane bailing water out of two giant jets as it passed through clouds of smoke close to the forest canopy. President Jair Bolsonaro authorized military operations in seven states to combat raging fires in the Amazon at the request from their local governments
Almost 80,000 wildfires have affected at least 20 per cent across Brazil’s Amazon rainforest in just the last year, the highest since at least 2013, according to space research agency INPE
Bolsonaro, who has the nickname ‘Captain Chainsaw’ for his support of deforestation, had announced the military would be sent in on Friday after several days of criticism from the public and world leaders that Brazil’s government was not doing anything to fight the fires
Nearly 80,000 fires have been registered across Brazil through August 24, the highest since at least 2013, according to space research agency INPE.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised £10 million to be made available immediately to help protect the Amazon rainforest habitats and called on world leaders to step up efforts to save endangered species.
Before a G7 session on the environment on Monday, Mr Johnson said: ‘In a week where we have all watched, horrified, as the Amazon rainforest burns before our eyes, we cannot escape the reality of the damage we are inflicting on the natural world.
‘The planet faces two immense threats: Climate change and biodiversity loss. These are two sides of the same coin – it is impossible to solve one challenge without fixing the other.
‘We cannot stop climate change without protecting the natural environment and we can’t restore global nature without tackling climate change.’
Bolsonaro, who has the nickname ‘Captain Chainsaw’ for his support of deforestation, had announced the military would be sent in on Friday after several days of criticism from the public and world leaders that Brazil’s government was not doing anything to fight the fires.
At the G7 summit this weekend, Boris Johnson (far left) promised £10 million to be made available immediately to help protect the Amazon rainforest habitats, and Emmanuel Macron said the G7 was nearing a deal to provide ‘technical and financial help’ to countries affected by the Amazon fires
View of a burnt area after a fire in the Amazon rainforest near Novo Progresso, Para state, Brazil. Thousands of wildfires have affected at least 20 per cent across Brazil’s Amazon rainforest
He also said on Twitter he had accepted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offer of a plane and specialized support for the firefighting operations, following a call between the two leaders.
Firefighters near Rondonia’s state capital of Porto Velho, where there were areas larger than football fields that had been charred, are working to stem active fires which are largely contained to small areas of individual trees.
The dozen or so yellow clad firefighters from environmental enforcement agency Ibama easily cleared brush from around a burning stump with a leaf blower, doused it with jets connected to water packs mounted on their backs and covered it in earth.
But outside of Rondonia, the government had yet to provide any operational details for other states. The Defense Ministry said in a briefing on Saturday that 44,000 troops were available in Brazil’s northern Amazon region but did not say how many would be used where and what they would do.
Military personnel around Porto Velho appeared to be largely coordinating firefighting efforts, according to a Reuters witness.
Asked for additional details, the Defense Ministry told Reuters in a statement that in all seven states that have asked for help, the military is planning operations to support firefighting initiatives already underway.
Outside of Rondonia, the government had yet to provide any operational details for other states. The Defense Ministry said in a briefing on Saturday that 44,000 troops were available in Brazil’s northern Amazon region but did not say how many would be used where and what they would do
The Amazon, which provides 20 per cent of the planet’s oxygen, is home to an estimated one million indigenous people from up to 500 tribes as well some three million species of plants and animals, including jaguars, sloths, giant otters, river dolphins, howler monkeys, toucans, reptiles, frogs and insects
Justice Minister Sergio Moro had also authorized a force of military police to assist in fighting the fires, with 30 set to be sent from Brasilia to Porto Velho. The president’s office posted to Twitter a photo of police officers on a plane bound for Rondonia set to arrive at noon.
Environment Minister Ricardo Salles posted a video showing a caravan of yellow fire prevention trucks and other government vehicles, saying they were on the ground responding in Rondonia.
Colombian President Ivan Duque said on Sunday he would seek a conservation pact with other Amazonian countries – first in bi-lateral meetings in Peru this week and then at the United Nations General Assembly.
‘Colombia wants to lead a pact, a conservation pact, between the countries that have Amazon territory,’ Duque said after meeting with an indigenous community in the Amazonian city of Leticia in southern Colombia. ‘We must understand the protection of our Mother Earth and our Amazon is a duty, a moral duty.’
The Amazon is the world’s largest tropical rain forest and is seen as vital to the fight against climate change because of the vast amounts of carbon dioxide that it absorbs.
The Amazon, which provides 20 per cent of the planet’s oxygen, is home to an estimated one million indigenous people from up to 500 tribes as well some three million species of plants and animals, including jaguars, sloths, giant otters, river dolphins, howler monkeys, toucans, reptiles, frogs and insects.
The fires are also not just impacting on Brazil — about 3,000 square miles of a Bolivian province have been destroyed by fires in the past month (pictured: the plane dumping water to fight the fires)
President Jair Bolsonaro deployed converted Hercules warplanes to dump water across burning areas (pictured)
Brazilian climate scientist Carlos Nobre said he worries if 20 to 25 per cent of the ecosystem is destroyed that the Amazon could reach a tipping point, after which it would enter a self-sustaining period of dieback as the forest converts to savannah. Nobre warned that it is not far off with already 15 to 17 per cent of the rain forest having been destroyed.
The fires are also not just impacting on Brazil — about 3,000 square miles of a Bolivian province have been destroyed by fires in the past month.
Shocking photos show the extent of the damage caused by wildfires over the last few days as several states declared emergency and asked for federal assistance in containing the spread of the blaze.
Over 1,600 new blazes began on just Thursday and Friday, lighting up the night sky across the southern parts of the world’s largest forest basin and prompting anti-government protests as well as an international outcry.
The wildfires have left half of Brazil covered in smoke and darkness is believed to be the most intense blaze to grip the jungle in nearly a decade.
President Jair Bolsonaro has sent Brazilian troops backed by military aircraft on Saturday prepared to deploy in the Amazon to fight fires that have swept the region.
Some 44,000 troops will be available for ‘unprecedented’ operations to put out the fires, and forces are heading to four Brazilian states that asked for federal help to contain the blazes, defence minister Fernando Azevedo said.
The extent of the scorched remains of huge swathes of the Amazon rainforest have been laid bare in shocking new images from Brazil, as international leaders pile pressure on the country’s leader to take action
More than half of the fires are in the Amazon, where more than 20 million people live. Some 1,663 new fires were ignited between Thursday and Friday, according to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE)
Official figures show 78,383 forest fires have been recorded in Brazil this year, the highest number of any year since 2013. Experts say the clearing of land during the months-long dry season to make way for crops or grazing has aggravated the problem.
The Amazon fires have become a global issue, escalating tensions between Brazil and European countries who believe Mr Bolsonaro has neglected commitments to protect biodiversity
An Associated Press journalist flying over the Porto Velho region Saturday morning reported hazy conditions and low visibility. On Friday, the reporter saw many already deforested areas that were burned, apparently by people clearing farmland, as well as a large column of smoke billowing from one fire
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says he is inclined to send the army to help fight fires in the Amazon that have scared people around the world. Pictured: Brazilian Army soldiers march during a ceremony for the Soldier Day at the Brazilian Army Headquarters in Brasilia
The states are Roraima, Rondonia, Tocantins and Para, although parts of Mato Grosso and Acre are also among the worst affected.
The military’s first mission will be the deployment of 700 troops to the area around Porto Velho, capital of Rondonia, Mr Azevedo said.
He added that the military will use two C-130 Hercules aircraft capable of dumping up to 12,000 litres (3,170 gallons) of water on fires.
Amid a storm of protest, President Jair Bolsonaro was seen joking around and taking selfies at a military ceremony before sending soldiers to assist in putting out blazes that have raged for three weeks.
‘The protection of the forest is our duty,’ he said, as thousands of people took to the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and the capital Brasilia to protest.
The environmental crisis was discussed by international leaders at the G7 meeting in Biarritz. Meanwhile, there were further protests outside Brazilian embassies in London and Paris and Bogota, Colombia.
On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar threatened to block a free-trade agreement between the EU and South American nations if Mr Bolsonaro did not act to stop the deforestation of the Amazon, which experts say has fuelled the fires.
In response, Mr Bolsonaro vowed he ‘will act to combat deforestation and criminal activities that put people at risk in the Amazon’.
A flame lingers over a fallen stump in the middle of a burnt-out section of the forest. The Brazilian military operations to tackle the blazes came after widespread criticism of president Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the crisis
Some 44,000 troops will be available for ‘unprecedented’ operations to put out the fires, and forces are heading to four Brazilian states that asked for federal help to contain the blazes, defence minister Fernando Azevedo said
A snake, camouflaged in the brown debris of the largely burnt-out fields, makes it way over bare ground in the Amazon of Rondonia, Brazil,
He said that Brazilian forces will deploy to border areas, indigenous territories and other affected regions to assist in putting out fires for a month, according to a presidential decree.
Leading politicians, celebrities, environmentalists and the Prime Minister’s girlfriend Carrie Symonds have warned of the devastating impact of the fires ravaging the rainforest, which produces a fifth of the world’s oxygen.
The wildfire is believed to be the most intense blaze to grip the jungle in nearly a decade, with scientists warning that the rainforest is drier and more flammable than normal due to global warming.
Yesterday’s protests came as it emerged there have been a record 72,843 fires in the jungle this year, up 83 per cent on 2018.
The Amazon, often referred to as the ‘lungs of the world’, is home to around three million species of plants and animals, and one million indigenous people. Environmental groups blame the wildfires on the Brazilian government’s relaxed policies allowing swathes of the rainforest to be cleared for farming and mining.
Oliver Salge, from Greenpeace, said: ‘If you burn the forest, you are backed up by a president.’
An Associated Press journalist flying over the Porto Velho region Saturday morning reported hazy conditions and low visibility.
On Friday, the reporter saw many already deforested areas that were burned, apparently by people clearing farmland, as well as a large column of smoke billowing from one fire.
Brazil says military aircraft and 44,000 troops will be available to fight fires sweeping through parts of the Amazon region. Pictured: Charcoal-making furnaces and wooden planks are seen from the air, in the city of Jaci Parana, Rondonia state, one of the four that have asked for state help
Fire consumes an area near Porto Velho, Brazil, on Friday, August 23. Brazilian state experts have reported a record of nearly 77,000 wildfires across the country so far this year
National Force military firefighters stand in line to board a plane to Rondonia northern Brazil, to help fight fires in the Amazon rainforest at the Military Air Base in Brasilia
The flight was due to leave Brasilia in the late afternoon, but for operational reasons was postponed for Sunday morning. President Jair Bolsonaro authorized Friday the deployment of Brazil’s armed forces to help combat fires raging in the Amazon rainforest
The Brazilian military operations came after widespread criticism of president Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the crisis.
On Friday, the president authorised the armed forces to get involved in putting out the fires, saying he is committed to protecting the Amazon region.
‘It shows the concern of Bolsonaro’s government about this issue,’ Mr Azevedo said. ‘It was a very fast response.’
Mr Bolsonaro has previously described rainforest protections as an obstacle to Brazil’s economic development, sparring with critics who say the Amazon absorbs vast amounts of greenhouse gasses and is crucial for efforts to contain climate change.
The Amazon fires have become a global issue, escalating tensions between Brazil and European countries who believe Mr Bolsonaro has neglected commitments to protect biodiversity.
Protesters gathered outside Brazilian diplomatic missions in European and Latin American cities Friday, and demonstrators also marched in Brazil.
The dispute spilled into the economic arena when French leader Emmanuel Macron threatened to block a European Union trade deal with Brazil and several other South American countries.
He wants G7 leaders meeting at a summit in France this weekend to discuss the Amazon crisis.
‘First we need to help Brazil and other countries put out these fires,’ Mr Macron said Saturday.
Nerl Dos Santos Silva, centre, watches an encroaching fire threat after digging trenches to keep the flames from spreading to the farm he works on in Mato Grosso, Brazil, August 23
A handout photo made available by NASA Earth Observatory of a map showing active fire detection in Brazil as obersved by Terra and Aqua MODIS satellites between 15 and 19 August 2019
Jair Bolsonaro (pictured) pledged that the military will ‘act strongly’ to control the wildfires, as he signed the decree on Friday evening following a late-night crisis meeting with his cabinet
The goal is to ‘preserve this forest that we all need because it is a treasure of our biodiversity and our climate thanks to the oxygen that it emits and thanks to the carbon it absorbs’, he said.
Bolivia and Paraguay have also struggled to contain fires that swept through woods and fields, in many cases set to clear land for farming.
A US-based aircraft, the B747-400 SuperTanker, is flying over devastated areas in Bolivia to help put out the fires and protect forests.
Fires are common in Brazil in the annual dry season, but they are much more widespread this year.
President Bolsonaro said said the protection of the forest was ‘our duty’.
As the president spoke, thousands of Brazilians demonstrated in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and the capital of Brasilia demanding the government announce concrete actions to curb the fires (Pictured: Protesters hold SOS sign in Sao Paulo on August 23)
People also banged pots from their homes, a traditional mode of protest in South America (Pictured: Protesters outside Brazil’s Embassy in Santiago on August 23)
Activists demonstrate during a protest against Bolsonaro over the fires in the Amazon rainforest in front of Brazil’s Embassy in Santiago on August 23
Demonstrators gather at the Brazilian embassy in London over Brazil’s inaction to tackle the wild fires sweeping through the Amazon rainforest
As the president spoke, thousands of Brazilians demonstrated in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and the capital of Brasilia demanding the government announce concrete actions to curb the fires.
People also banged pots from their homes, a traditional mode of protest in South America.
Small numbers of demonstrators gathered outside Brazilian diplomatic missions in Paris, London, Geneva and Bogota, Colombia, to urge Brazil to do more to fight the fires.
Larger protests were held in Uruguay and Argentina. Hundreds also protested in Chile, Ecuador and Peru.
Neighbouring Bolivia and Paraguay have also struggled to contain fires that swept through woods and fields, in many cases set to clear land for farming.
Bolsonaro’s new plan of action comes after an ominous warning from scientists who say the Amazon is nearing a ‘tipping point’ in which a third of its ecosystem could be irreversibly decimated.
In July this year, the rate of deforestation of what has been described as ‘the lungs of our planet’ was comparable to the size of Manhattan every day, or Greater London every three weeks.
Professor Thomas Lovejoy of George Mason University believes there are signs the rain forest is on course for further extensive decimation that could soon be out of human control.
The professor told The Independent: ‘The reason we believe the tipping point is so close is because we’re seeing historic droughts in 2005, 2010, and 2016.
‘And satellite images in the north central Amazon also show forests remote from everything are beginning to convert into grassland. That’s yet another symptom.’
Nearly half of Brazil is covered in smoke as the fires spread from the country’s east to the Atlantic coast
A fire burns on a farm in the Nova Santa Helena municipality in the state of Mato Grosso on Friday, August 23
A fire burns on a farm in the Nova Santa Helena municipality in the state of Mato Grosso on Friday, August 23
A handout photo made available by NASA Earth Observatory of a natural-colour satellite image showing fires burning in the vicinity of Novo Progresso in the Brazilian state of Para on August 19
Several experts believe the raging Amazon inferno was likely started by human beings rather than lightning or some other natural cause.
Christian Poirier, who serves as program director for the conservation non-profit known as Amazon Watch, says cattle ranchers and farmers regularly set fires to rainforest land to clear it for agriculture and grazing.
An estimated 99 percent of the Amazon’s fires are started by people, ‘either on purpose or by accident,’ according to Alberto Setzer, a senior scientist at Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
Pollution caused by the Amazon rainforest fires at the river in Porto Belho. Several experts believe the raging Amazon inferno was likely started by human beings rather than lightning or some other natural cause
Fire consumers an area near Porto Velho, Brazil on Friday, August 23. The degradation of the Amazonian rainforest could have serious consequences for global climate and rainfall
Embers from a wildfire smolder along a highway in the Nova Santa Helena municipality in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil on Friday, August 23
Rainforest Alliance Chief Programming Officer Nigel Sizer told CNN the man-made deforestation techniques such as this are, ‘responsible for 80 percent to 90 percent of the loss of tropical forests around the world.’
Nearly 73,000 rainforest fires have been reported in Brazil since the start of the year.
Bolsonaro, has taken heat from critics who say his relaxed environmental controls and emboldening of Amazonian deforestation efforts to stimulate the nation’s economic growth have created the conditions for the current disaster.
The president has previously described rainforest protections as an obstacle to economic development, sparring with critics who note that the Amazon produces vast amounts of oxygen and is considered crucial in efforts to contain global warming.